Research needs and priorities for transition and employment in autism: Considerations reflected in a "Special Interest Group" at the International Meeting for Autism Research.
Autism stakeholders worldwide agree we need more employer training and adult job supports—later studies already show those programs work.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Researchers ran a focus group at the International Meeting for Autism Research. They asked adults with autism, families, employers, and scientists one question: what should we study next about work and adulthood?
They wrote down every answer, grouped them into themes, and voted on the top priorities.
What they found
The group agreed on three big needs. First, grow the research workforce. Second, teach employers how to hire and support autistic adults. Third, build person-centered supports for adults and families.
No numbers were reported; the output was a consensus list, not an experiment.
How this fits with other research
Hull et al. (2021) later pooled 30 similar priority studies. Their review includes the 2017 list and confirms the same theme: everyday-life skills beat lab studies.
Frazier et al. (2018) asked a wider online sample the same question and got the same answers—adult transition and job supports stay at the top.
Perez et al. (2015) and Slater et al. (2020) took the next step. They tested two job programs the 2017 group said we need. Both found higher wages and more hours for adults who got Project SEARCH plus supported employment or competitive work placements.
Why it matters
If you write transition goals or chase grants, use this list. Funders already accept these three priorities as community-endorsed. You can cite the 2017 consensus when you request money for employer training, social-skills curricula like JOBSS, or supported-employment programs that now show positive data.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Research related to supports for adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is under-developed. As an example, system and service development to support successful transition to adulthood and meaningful vocation for adults has received relatively little research scrutiny until recently, with practitioners and program developers lacking evidenceinformed approaches guiding service delivery. A Special Interest Group (SIG) was convened at the International Meeting for Autism Research in May 2014 and May 2015, with a focus on transitional and vocational issues in ASD. The SIG consisted of 120 international delegates, including self-advocates, family members, researchers, program and policy developers, practitioners, and interdisciplinary ASD trainees. Following a summary of the literature, subgroups of attendees were convened in smaller groups to identify research needs and priorities. International researchers facilitated these discussions with notes taken in each subgroup. Using a qualitative analytic approach, key themes across groups were identified. These key themes, outlined in this paper, address the identified need to (a) advance research capacity; (b) build employer capacity relative to employing persons with ASD; and (c) enhance support resources for adults with ASD and their families. Heightened research activity guiding practice and policy, community/employer engagement, and person and family-centered services were recommended. Implications for advancement and implementation are offered. Autism Res 2017, 10: 15-24. © 2016 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism Research, 2017 · doi:10.1002/aur.1683